Immoral and unprincipled action by Opposition leader

Your editorial of November 18, 2013 titled 'Holness right on Senate resignations' is most disappointing in its failure to address the questions of morality and principle involved in the recent impasse in the Jamaica Labour Party (JLP). That failure has unfortunately left the distinct impression that The Gleaner supports the Machiavellian actions taken by the leader of the Opposition in respect to the recent Senate 'resignations'.

The editorial fails to address the fact that no principled and self-respecting politician should accept an appointment to a position in circumstances where a condition precedent to appointment is to hand the leader of his/her party a pre-signed and undated resignation. Those who accept appointment to the Senate have merely continued the tradition of "a bunch of lackeys and yes-men" in the JLP. Is a Senate appointment so important that one would lose all self-respect merely for that appointment?

Your editorial should have also recognised that Mr Holness has a duty to only appoint talented and principled persons in whom he reposed sufficient confidence to not have to require a pre-signed and undated letter of resignation as a condition precedent to appointment. Unless, of course, The Gleaner subscribes to appointments being made on the basis of political expediency which I doubt to be the position.

The recent election for leader of the JLP and its aftermath have only served to further expose the dire predicament the JLP has placed itself in. The clear mandate Mr Holness was given should have been sufficient reason for members of the Senate, particularly those who opposed Mr Holness' leadership, to offer their resignations. Their failure to do so does not speak well of the quality of persons chosen by Mr Holness consequent on his defeat in December 2011, nor does it speak well on Mr Holness' ability to assemble and lead a team capable of taking the reins of government.

Your editorial was correct in stating that Mr Holness "quite rightly expected he would be given a free hand to shape the JLP". That observation does not, however, justify his actions.

Notwithstanding Mr Holness' expectations that he would have a free hand to shape the JLP and the refusal of Messrs Tufton and Williams to resign from the Senate, the use by Mr Holness of the pre-signed, undated letters of resignation, which were given for a different purpose than that which it was used, is an immoral and unprincipled action.

Such action only serves to telegraph to the people of Jamaica that we should not expect any future government led Mr Holness to display any morality or principle in governance.

SLAP IN THE FACE

While not constitutionally or legally obliged to do so, Messrs Tufton and Williams' refusal to resign from the Senate is undoubtedly a slap in the face of the delegates who rejected their candidate, Mr Audley Shaw, and, by extension, rejected them.

Mr Editor, even if one were prepared to accept your statement that "the fact that the group (senators) signed the resignation letters underlines their appreciation of a party leader to be assured of the policy support of his appointees", the difficulties that presents are:

1. The letters of resignation were specifically given on the understanding that they would not be used for any other purpose than to ensure that the JLP senators did not defect and give the Government the two-thirds majority required to take Jamaica into the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ); and

2. There is no indication that the group, or any member of the group, particularly Tufton and Williams, has abandoned support for any of the party policies, especially those in respect of the CCJ.

The use by Mr Holness of the pre-signed and undated letters of resignation for a purpose other than that for which they were given is a serious breach of trust. To use them in furtherance of securing his own political agenda can only be described as perverse and immoral.

Perhaps, more important, it is indicative of a weak leader lacking the ability to unite, mobilise and organise his party despite being given a mandate by the delegates.

The actions of the JLP leadership, particularly Holness, Tufton and Williams' display a disregard for principle and morality, continue the long-standing tradition in Jamaican politics of political expediency at the expense of decisions in the best interests of the country.

Jalil S. Dabdoub is an attorney-at-law. Email feedback to columns@gleanerjm.com and jsd_ddc@flowja.com.